A scandal is being generated in the opposition. This time the scandal may take place between two parliamentary factions – the Heritage and ARF factions.
The elections for the speaker and deputy speaker of the parliament have created some misunderstanding between the mentioned two factions. The problem is that during the voting to elect the speaker and deputy speaker the ARF did not vote for their partner’s candidates Larissa Alaverdyan and Armen Martirosyan but for the ruling party’s candidates Samvel Nikoyan and Eduard Sharmazanov. Following the voting representatives of the heritage announced that the mask of the ARF was broken. In answer to those statements the representatives of the ARF said that they had not liked the part in Larissa Alaverdyan’s speech saying that Garegin Nzhdeh and the Dashnaktsutyun parties had opposite opinions concerning in relation to independence of Mountainous Armenia. “Madam Alaverdyan made such a sharp statement that is characteristic to Bolshevik’s that we could hardly keep the ARF members from opposing to her because of her speech and lack of knowledge of the history. Would anyone vote for them after all this? That is why Armen was given more votes. They would be better to do the vice versa and nominate Armen’s candidacy for the speaker,” said ARF MP Armen Rustamyan.
Four people voted for Alaverdyan and definitely those were the four MPs of the Heritage. The other members of the faction – Zaruhi Postanjyan and Raffi Hovhannisyan – were not in the country that day. Six people voted for Armen Martirosyan. The representatives of the ARF hinted that those two extra people were from their party. Even Armen Rustamyan hinted that they had given one of the four votes Alaverdyan received. Does this mean that not all members of the Heritage voted for their candidate? “We don’t want to speak with their language and say that their mask was torn. If they did it for the mentioned purpose, it is a game for children. This is not good for a serious party. The ARF does not have to make their slick games serious. Both the coalition and Heritage are showing a wrong position. The wrong thing on part of the RPA is that they are saying that the position of the RPA’s headquarter head is more important than the position of the speaker. The Heritage was not able to mobilize their members; there had six people, they had to vote with those six people. No justifications are accepted. Instead of leaving for Marseilles they could stay here and fight for the speaker’s position. They are not serious and our mask has nothing to do with them. Instead of breaking the mask of the authorities they are breaking the mask of their partners. It is shame. We decided to make a free voting because we did not give political importance to that voting,” said ARF representative Armen Rustamyan.
Certainly Rustamyan’s announcements were not left without an answer by the Heritage. Anahit Bakhshyan was surprised at the ARF’s allegation that they should have informed them about their intention to be nominated for the speaker’s and vice-speaker’s positions. “Why did we have to tell them? This was what the Heritage has done before that too and has been loyal to this principle. We have always announced about our activities,” says Mrs. Bakhshyan.
The representative of the Heritage says that if the RFA people think that they used that opportunity to have a floor for talking, they could vote for their candidates to support the messages of the opposition. “Larissa reminded that Nzhdeh did not obey the government of the first republic of Armenia and did not leave the mountainous Armenia, due to which it is within Armenia,” said Alaverdyan. From this prospective Alaverdyan said that oppositionists should have that braveness to oppose as sometimes it may even help.
The ARF has submitted the bill of expressing mistrust to the government and proposing their resignation. The Heritage’s representatives were not present at that time. Larissa Alaverdyan came in after the discussion of that issue. Is this an expression of protest on part of the Heritage? “We have not made a decision on that but I think in that issue we will take into consideration the case with the elections,” she said.
In answer to question whether this conflict could become a dividing point for them as a result of which they may refuse to cooperate during the upcoming elections she said, “No, we are not that unserious party. There are common goals, due to which we will leave these minor issues on side and fight together for the sake of the country’s freedom, independence, democracy and unity,” said A. Rustamyan.
“I don’t think so. There are many other issues that can be a starting point for cooperation,” said A. Bakhshyan.